The Brazilian Edson Arantes do Nascimento 'Pelé', considered by many as the greatest football player of all time, died this Thursday at the age of 82, due to complications from colon cancer. In this article, learn the story behind the nickname of the Brazilian legend.
Why was Edson Arantes do Nascimento called Pelé?
The nickname of the former player formed in Santos FC has its origins in a speech problem and the figure of a childhood idol: goalkeeper José Lino da Conceição Faustino 'Bilé'. 'Bilé' was the goalkeeper of Vasco de São Lourenço, a modest team from the state of Minas Gerais, where 'O Rei's' father, João Ramos do Nascimento 'Dondinho,' also played.
As a child, Edson, who at that time was called 'Dico' by his family, liked to play as a goalkeeper and, every time he made a save, he would shout to himself '¡Segura, Bilé!' ('Catch it, Bilé!'), inspired by his father's teammate.
However, due to his young age, as he was just four years old, he couldn't pronounce 'Bilé' correctly, and the friends he played with on the streets of Bauru, in the interior of Sao Paulo, believed he was saying something similar to 'Pelé'.
The nickname caught on among his friends, who started calling him 'Pelé,' something that initially deeply annoyed the young man who would later become the greatest player of all time. Edson had no choice but to accept the nickname with which he would be known worldwide and which became a global brand that endures to this day.